Art of annealing steel castings and steel forcings



e h S v .m e e h S 4 S Dn... B L L E S W d. d 0 M 0 m ART OF ANNEALING STEEL CASTINGS, AND STEEL EOEGINGS.

mn Nonms Penas co monrmno., mmm-.rum n. c,

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. SELLERS. ARTOF ANNBALING-STEEL GASTINGS AND STEEL FORGINGS.

' No. 429,775. une 1o, 1890 v (No Model.) 4 Sheets-*Sheet 3.

W. SELLERS. ART 0F ANNEALING STEEL CASTINGS AND STEEL T:"ORGrI1\TGS l` .,No. 429,775. Patented June 10,1890.

4 Sheets-Sheetii. W. SELLERS. ART 0E ANNEALING STEEL CASTINGS AND STEEL EOEGINGS.

. 429,775. Patented June 1o, 1890.'

.c lin: al' Fury; nea

IN VENTOR Y w1 rNEssfs:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

IVILLIAM SELLERS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE EDGE MOOR IRON COMPANY, OF DELAVARE.

ART OF ANINEALING STEEL CASTINGS AND STEEL FORGINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,775, dated J' une 10, 1890.

Application filed March 11, 1887. Serial No. 230,558. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: temperature and to a uniform cooling, and

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SELLERS, of that this change results in important addithe city andA county of Philadelphia, in the tions to the ultimate strength and ductility State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain of the metal, while imparting to it greater 55 5 new and useful Improvements in the Art of uniformity in these particulars throughout Annealing Steel Castings and Steel Forgings; the mass. It is also well known that all and I do hereby declare the following to be a forgings of steel in which the whole mass is full and exact description thereof, reference not finished at a uniform heat will be subbeing had to the accompanying drawings, ject to internal strains, which are liable to re- 6o 1o forlning part of this speciiicatiomin whichsult in fracture from trivial shocks, and asitis Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a plan with one-half difficult in most cases and impossible in many in section on the line L M. Fig. 2, Sheet 1, to finish such forgings at a uniform heat it is a side elevation with one-half in section is the recognized rule to subject all to an anon the line I K. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is an end nealing operation-that is, to heat them 65 15 View in section on the line A B. Fig. 4, Sheet evenly in an open ire to a red heat and then 2, is an end view of the furnace-chamber in embed them in hot ashes or other non-consection on the line O D. Fig. 5, Sheet 2, is ducting material which will exclude the air an end elevation of one-half of the complete or prevent its circulation, or to heat them in furnace, showing a section of the coaling area a furnace and allow them to cool oif slowly 7o 2o on the line G I-I and a section of the downwith the furnace in which they were heated. take and chimney-flue on the line E F. Fig. The former is objectionable by reason ofthe 6, Sheet 3, is a sectional plan showing the difficulty in procuring a uniform heat, which relative position of the several devices for is only possible with small objects, and .the opening and closing the heating-chamber and uniformity of the cooling is uncertain, while 75 2 5 the annealing chamber and charging and the latter, although it elfects great uniformity discharging both chambers. Fig. 7, Sheet 4, in cooling, involves a great loss of heat, beis a partial elevation on the lines N O of Fig. cause both metal and furnace must cool olf 6. Fig. S, Sheet 4, is a section on the linesP together and the heat of the furnace must be Q of Fig. 9, showing the detail of apparatus restored with the next charge. It involves a 8o 3o for raising and lowering the charge preparagreat loss of time, because the furnace cantory to and subsequent to its transmission not be used for heating a second charge unand the apparatus of transmission. Fig. 9, til the firsthas been cooled off and Withdrawn. Sheet 4, is a section on the lineR S of Fig. 6, It involves additional plant because addishowing details' of the apparatus of transtional furnaces are required to compensate 85 35 mission. Fig. 10, Sheet 4, is a section on the for such intermittent heating, and these reline T U of Fig. G, showing the detail of apquire larger space to contain them. It must paratus for opening and closing the annealbe observed that there is a radical difference ing-chamber; and Fig. 11 is a partial elevabetween the cooling operations in these two tion on the line V WV of Fig. 6, showing the systems. In the first the air is excluded, or 9o 4o details of apparatus for raising and lowering its circulation is impeded as far as possible. the charge and the position'of the prime In the second the uniformity of temperature mover vertically. Fig. 12, Sheet 4, is an eleis maintained throughout the closed heatingvation of one end of the furnaces, showing in chamber by a free circulation of the heated section one of the four hydraulic cylinders gases within this chamber after thefurnace 95 I i5 and pistons which raise and lower the cover is closed to the external air, while the reducand its connection therewith. tion of temperature is effected by conduction It is well known that in the manufacture to the external air through the outer wall of of steel castings, particularly in those of conthe heating-chamber and by radiation from siderable weight, an important molecular the outer surface of these walls. 10o 5o change is effected by subjecting Vsuch cast- In the practice of the art of annealing steel ings to an equable heating at a bright-red castings and steel forgings, in which latter I include all wrought-steel, I have discovered that it is not always necessary and oftentimes not useful to prolong the cooling, as in the case where the furnace and its contents are cooled off together. For wrought-steel what is generally required is uniform cooling, and it is only requisite to prolong the cooling to effect its uniformity, and when the metal has a nearly-uniform cross-section the cooling may be accelerated with improvement to the quality of the metal. This points to a separation of the heating and cooling chambers for annealing' purposes, and my invention comprehends suoli a separation and also improvements in both heating and cooling chambers and the mode of charging and discharging the same. The advantages of the improved cooling-chamber cannot be availed of except in conjunction with a heating-chamber; but my improved heating-chamber and the devices for charging and discharging the same may be used, and I contemplate using them, forheating purposes alone, without any connection with an annealing-chamber.

It is one object of my present invention to edect the required annealing` of all such eastings and forgings of steel continuously, whereby the cooling off of the heating furnace and chalnber may be avoided, while the uniformity of cooling heretofore obtained by cooling this furnace and its contents may be maintained, and it is a further object, while effecting the cooling uniformly, to accomplish this result more rapidly than can be done by cooling off the furnace and its contents as heretofore; and to these ends my invention consists in first heating castings or forgings of steel in a suitable furnace to an equable and proper temperature throughout the mass, then transferring such heated metal into an annealingchamber from which the surrounding air is excluded when this chamber is closed, and then closing this chamber, so that the heated metal within it shall be cooled by the circulation of the air within this chamber; and it further consists in first heating' castings or forgings of steel in a suitable furnace to an equable and proper temperature throughout the mass; then transferringsuchheated metal into an annealing-chamber from which the surrounding air is excluded when this chamber is closed; then closing this chamber, so that the heated metal within it shall be cooled by the circulation of the air within this chamber; then regulating' the capacity of the walls of this chamber for conducting the heat to determine the time in which the heated metal shall be cooled; and it further consists in heating castings or forgings of steel in a suitable furnace to an equable and proper temperature throughout the mass; then transferring such heated metal into an annealingchamber from which the surrounding air is excluded when this chamber is closed; then lowering such castings or forgings upon suitable supports within the anneali11g-chamber, so that the air within the chamber can circulate about all parts of such heated metal, and then closing the chamber, so that the heated metal within it shall be cooled by the circulation of the air within this chamber; and it further consists in heating castings or forgings of steel in a suitable furnace to an equable and proper temperature throughout the mass; then transferring such heated metal into an annealing-chamber from which the surrounding air is excluded when this chamber is closed; then transferring to suitable supports within this chamber, bars of metal heated to the temperature of the castings or forgings of steel to be annealed; then lowering such castings or forgings upon these heated bars, and then closing the annealingchamber, so that the heated metal within it shall be cooled by the circulation of the air within this chamber.

In order that my invention may be clearly set forth, I will now describe a furnace embodying my invention, which I have constructed and used in the manufacture of steel eye-bars for bridges and other structures. For the purpose named the furnace must be very long, and it is therefore fired from both ends to obtain a more uniform distribution of the heat. (See Fig. 2, Sheet I, in which the grate-bars w are shown clearly in full lines at one end and the outline of a similar firingchamberis shown in dotted lines at the other end.) The downtake N is placed midway between the two flring-chambers and connects with the flue leading to the chimney, (shown by dotted lines,) passing under the last-mentioned firing-chamber.

In order more effectually to obtain a uni' form distribution of the heat, each firingchamber discharges a very small proportion of its gaseous products of combustion into the heating-chamber A above it. The larger portion of these heated gases enters the fines between the ring-chambers and the downtake N and they pass out of these filles through the openings a a a ct in the top of the fire-brick covering of these fines and firing-chambers, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) which covering forms the bottom O of the heating-chamber. As thus arranged the passage of the heated gases into the heating-chamber maybe controlled at will by placing fire-bricks partially or entirely over such of the openings a a a a in which it may be desired to retard or to exclude the delivery of the heated gases; and, lastly, to further facilitate the equal distribution of the heat I provide the firing-chambers with fan-blast or other forced blast, so that the heating-chamber may be worked under a pressure abovethat of the atmosphere, whereby the heated gases maybe forced to any part of the heating-chamber, and the oxidizingcurrents, due to a minus pressure, may be avoided. To sustain the bars which are to be annealed, I provide rectangular cast-iron hollow supportsh bb l), the sides of which are perforated with circular openings, (see Figsl, 2, and 3,) which su pporls rest upon the bed or IOO rol;

IIO

hearth of the'heating-chamber O', and to open and close this chamber for the purpose of charging and discharging the material to be annealed I divide it upon a horizontal plane below the top of the supports b Z) b b and near the plane of the bed'or hearth, so that the cover P' P', which forms the sides and top of this chamber, might be removed as a whole at that horizontal plane. This cover is supported in an iron frame-work, which can rock or tilt upon the pins c c, Fig. 3, and such pins are provided at each of the vertical posts c' c' c c' on the sides of the furnace. (See Fig. l.) The corresponding' vertical supports for the cover P' P are provided at their lower ends with semi-cylindrical sockets, which iit over the pins c c, forming, with the sockets, open hinges, upon which the cover may be rocked or tilted in such manner as to open the heating-chamber upon one side or the other at will. This cover is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3 as tilted to the position for charging the chamber. As thus arranged the cover of the heatingchamber can be raised by a force but little in excess of half the weight of the cover, and the chamber can be charged and discharged from either side in the plane of its bed. NVhen the chamber is to be charged and discharged from one side only, the cover may be counterbalanced so as to still further reduce the force required to raise it.

I have availed myself of the iron framing, which is required to support the cover when tilted, as shown, to support the corrugated iron roof, which protects the furnace and its machinery from the weather.

To tilt the cover P P', I provide two hydraulic cylinders Q Q' at each end of the furnace. (See Figs. l, 5,16, and 7.) The axes of these cylinders are inclined and their pistons and piston-rods are connected to the ends of the beams R' R by the pins Fig. 5, and are arranged to vibrate in the cylinders, to accommodate themselves to the curve in which the ends of the beams R' R' will move as they are raised from one side or the other. The cover of the cylinder Q', Fig. l2, rests loosely upon the ends of the cylinder, and the piston-rod sliding freely through the cover causes it to move back and forth across the cylinder with the vibration of the piston-rod. The piston itself is not cylindrical, but rather a section of a sphere, provided with the usual hydraulic packing.

'y The vibration of the piston is so slight that the packing is sufficient to accommodate it.

.High-pressure Water from an accumulator or other supply is admitted by a valve to the two cylinders on the side it is desired to raise or open. f The weight of the cover is sufficient to close it when the exhaust-valve is opened and the water is permitted to escape from the cylinders. In raising and lowering this cover upon either set of hinges it is important that the under side of the cover on its open side shouldbe maintained parallel to the bottom of the lieatingchamber, as otherwise it would be twisted and itsbrick-work would fall to pieces. If mechanical force were employed for this purpose, some devices for maintaining the cover in position when raised, as also some squaring devices to maintain its parallelism while raising, would be required; but by the use of the two hydraulic cylinders operated from the same source of supply and through one valve further devices for maintaining the cover in position when raised or its parallelism while raising are not required.

To charge and discharge the materials to be annealed, I provide on each side of the furnace a series of wrought-iron frames d d d d, the top of each one of which is composed of a pair of rectangular bars riveted together upon interposed thimbles to receive and to support the material as it comes to the furnace and as it is discharged therefrom. The thimbles between these top bars are about one and one-half inchinlength and six inches apart to afford convenient fulcrafor the hand-levers, which move the material to its proper position. On the discharging side the top rail is divided into two, for a purpose hereinafter described. (SeeFigs.1,2,3,and5.) Betweenthesewroughtiron frames I provide on each side of the furnace pairs of cast-iron boxes s s s s, each one of the pair set opposite to the other, so as to work together, as hereinafter described, and these boxes are provided at each end with a vertically-sliding frame or box e e e e, which carries a roll upon its upper end, having its axis parallel to the side of the furnace and a roller at its lower end having its axis at right angles tothe side of the furnace. These lower rollers rest upon inclined planes t' t' fi z', Figs. 2, 3, 5, S, and 9, which are secured to and are carried upon the channel-bars m m m fm, which bars extend the whole length of the furnace, and are supported upon rollers having their axes fixed in the boxes s s s s at rig-ht angles to the furnace. The two channel-bars on one side of the furnace are united together by the cross-bracing T' and T", Fig. 6, and are attached to the piston-rod of the hydraulic cylinder Z, Fig. 6, by the crossbracing T', and a similar cross-bracing connects the two other bars. These two sets of channels are connected together by thelever U', which vibrates about the pin n in the end of the iron framing of the furnace, (see Fig. 1,) so that the' two sets of channel-bars on the opposite sides of the furnace when moved must move in opposite directions. The inclined planes 'i i 'L' z' are secured to these channel-bars, so that when moving in opposite directions they will raise or lower the boxes c e e e on both side's of the furnace simultaneously by means of the rollers in the lower ends of these boxes resting upon the inclined planes. (See Fig. 8.) The inclined planes i' i i i are provided with horizontal surfaces at their larger ends, so that when the rollers on the bottom of the boxes e e e e are raised IOO IIO

or lowered by the inclined surfaces they will rest upon these iiat surfaces or upon the channel-bars, for which purpose the channelbars 'nt m n1. m have a greater movement than the length of the inclines t' 'L' t' t'. I have shown and described the raising device as a series of inclined planes, these being the simplest in form and perhaps the least liable to get out of order; but other well-known mechanical devices-such as screws or toggle-joints-may be substitutedor the lifting may be done with hydraulic jacks under each of the vertically-sliding frames or boxes e c e e, all of the hydraulic jacks being connected to one supply-pipe and to one discharge-pipe, so as to be operated by one valve. The upper rollers in the boxes e e c e next the furnace on cach side are supported and turned by the shafts IV W', resting in bearings upon the top of the boxes e e e e, which, for the purpose of being turned with facility, are provided with the hand-wheels p p 1J p, Figs. l, 2, and 5. The rollers on these shafts are gear-pinions shrouded, the shrouding being wide enough to support the weight while the gear-pinions impel it, as hereinafter described. (See Figs. 8 and 9.)

For the purpose of supporting and moving the materials into and out of the heatingchamber, I provide a series of transferringrackst t t t, Figs. S and 9, having a length at least sufficient to cover three rollers-that is to say, to cover two rollers on one side of the furnace and to extend across and through the lower edge of the cover of the heating-chamber far enough to rest upon the roller on the opposite side of this chamber, for which purpose openings r o r r are provided in the sides of the heating-chamber. rlhese racks are composed of two rectangular bars of iron, having a cast-iron rack suitable for meshing with the pinions on the shafts XV YW, riveted between them. The openings r o r r are provided with vertically-sliding covers, which can be readily raised to admit the racks. The annealing chamber B has about the same capacity as the heating-chamber. The cover X is composed of plate-iron riveted together and stayed with angle-irons to give it suiiicient stability to be hoisted and lowered when the chamber is being charged and discharged, and when lowered to place is supported in a channel -groove extending all around the base and iilled with sand. The bottom is composed of plate-iron riveted to the channel-groove and supported from the wrought iron frames (l d d d. Openings through this bottom are provided to admit the outer row of boxes e e e e; but as these openings are the only ones into this chamber no circulation of air can occur through them, and, moreover, they are provided with closetting covers to protect the rollers in the top of the boxes e e c e, when lowered to place, from the heatof the cooling'inass in the annealing-chamber. The cover X when raised is suspended at two points by chains passing over the pulleys Y Y and the top of the heating-chamber down to and under other similar pulleys Y Y on the sides of the boxes s s, (sce Fig. 7,) from whence they go around similar pulleys Y2 Y2, carried by the crossbracing T T', and from thence to the sides of the boxes s s, where they are attached. The movement of the channel-bars carrying with them the lower pulleys will move the cover double the distance traversed by the channel-bars, and when raised the cover may be maintained in this position by passing keys through the chain-links below the pulleys on the sides of the boxes s s, and the channel-bars may be operated thereafter to perform any of their other functions.

I have described the cover B as of plateiron; but it may be made of fire-brick as well, and I contemplate making it so whenever it is requisite to prolong the cooling beyond what can be readily accomplished in the plateiron structure. The time of cooling in the plate-iron structure, however, may be greatly modified by varying the thickness of the metal, or the plates may be double with an air-space between them, and the width of this air-space may be less or more, or the plates may be covered with asbest-us or other refractory felting, any one of which modicatious will affect the rapidity with which the heat of the air within the chamber can be transmitted to that exterior to it Without affecting the uniformity of its transmission, and such modifications will consequently affect the rapidity of the circulationof the air within the chamber and its cooling effect.

It is possible that with very great irregularities of section inthe metal to be annealed it may be desired to accelerate or to retard the cooling of certain sections of the annealing-chamber, which can be effected by modifying the structure of any part of this chamber, as above indicated. I prefer, therefore, to use the plate-iron annealing-chamber, not only because its cooling properties can be readily modified, but because it is lighter and can be more easily transported than a fire-brick chamber.

In practicing the art of annealing I have discovered that at least for certain classes of work it takes much longer to cool the metal to be annealed than it does to heat it, and under such circumstances I provide two or more annealing chambers mounted upon wheels or otherwise arranged, so that each chamber can be in turn brought up to the heating chamber to be charged and then transported to some other locality to cool and to be discharged.

The furnace shown and described having been built for annealing eye-bars, and such a bar being shown supported in position in the heating-chamber, (see Fig. 2,) I will now describe the operation of charging and discharging such bars, which are first assembled on the charging side and arranged edgewisethat is, with their fiat sides vertical. Distance- IOO IIO

pieces are placed between to permit a free circulation of hot gases around each bar. They are bolted together through the holes in the eye to maintain this position and rest on the wrought-iron frames d d d d, so that the center of gravity of the mass of bars will fall just inside the outer set of rollers-that is, between these rollers and the annealing-chamber. The boxes e e e e are now in their lowest position, and the racks are passed under the mass of bars and over the rollers, and so that the end of the racks will mesh with the pinions on the shaft WV. The rollers are now raised by admitting` the high-pressure water to the cylinder Z, which actuates the channelbars m m mm, by which operation the load will be transferred from the wrought-iron frames d d d d to the racks tttt. The coverP P of the heating-chamber is now raised to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3,and then by turningthe hand-wheelspppp the mass of bars will be carried into the heating-chamber over the cast-iron hollow supports b b Z9 b. Then in this position, arectangular bar of iron a, that will pass freely between the wrought iron supports d d d d, is now laid on top of each castiron hollow support b b bb. The channelbars m m m 'm are then moved in the opposite direction, which will lower the mass of bars upon the rectangular bars resting upon the top of the cast-iron supports. The racks may then be withdrawn and the cover lowered to the position shown by the full lines in Fig. 3. As soon as the mass of bars has acquired the proper heat the cover should be tilted in the opposite direction, the racks inserted as before, but from the opposite side, then raised upon the rollers, so as to transfer the load upon the cast iron supports to the racks. The rectangular bars upon the top of the cast-iron supports b l) b b should then be transferred to the wrought-iron supports d d d CZ, in the annealing-chamber and placed between the two bars, of which each of these supports is composed, so as to rest upon the thimbles. The heated mass may then be run out over the wrought-iron frames on the discharging side and lowered upon the red-hot rectangular bars just transferred from the heatingchamber to these frames, and the racks can then be withdrawn. The cover P P of the heatingchamber is now lowered into place. The covers on the bottom of the annealing-chamber are then placed over the outer row of boxes e e c e, and the cover X of the annealing-chamber is lowered to its position in the channelgrooves, the sand in which makes it air-tight, and in this position it remains until the bars are sufficiently cooled to be removed. In the meantime another charge of bars may be placed in the heatingchamber. The rectangular bars which are placed upon the top of the cast-iron supports in the heating-chamber serve a twofold purpose. The space which they occupy upon the top of the supports aifords ample clearance forthe mass of material which is being which would frustrate the Object for which.

the annealing is resorted to. The bars may be removed from the annealing chamber with safety before they are cool enough to handle, and to facilitate this operation the wrought-iron frames d d d d are extended beyond the annealing-chamber, and. when thev cover X of this chamber is raised a bridge is thrown across the opening between the two top rails of the frames d d d d, the bars are disconnected, and they are slid one by one onto the outer end of the wrought-iron frames, from which they may be removed at any time.

Vhen articles of smaller dimensions are to be annealed, they may be placed in cast-iron boxes provided with openings for the circulation of air, cron grates,which may be charged into the heating-chamber or discharged from the heating-chamber to the annealing-chamber, as above described.

The heating-furnace and its devices for opening and closing, charging and discharging, which are shown and described, form no part of the invention claimed herein, said furnace and devices being claimed in another division of this application, Serial No. 27 4,07 2, tiled May 16,1888. Ihave also tiled a division of this application relating to process in the art of annealing steel castings and steel forgings which application was led September 8, 1888, Serial No. 284,901, and in which the subject-matter is an improvement in the art of annealing steel castings and steel forgings which consists in supporting the castings or forgings to be annealed upon heated supports within the annealing-chamber, which annealingchamber is cooler, then said heated supports, andthe improvement in the art of annealing steel castings and steel forgings which consists in treating the articles to be annealed in an annealing-chamber and regulating the heat-conducting capacity of the walls of said chamber, so that all parts of said casting or forging shall be uniformly and properly cooled.

Having now set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The hereinbefore -described improvelnent in the art of annealing steel castings IOO closed, then closing this chamber, then rcchargin g the h eatin gft" u rnace with other metal to be heated and annealed, then replacing the charged annealing-chamber with another similar one not charged, the number of an- Healing-chambers and their movements being so proportioned to the heating capacity of the heating-furnace that the heating-chamber of this furnace may receive heat and discharge the metal to be annealed consecutively and continuously, substantially as described.

2. The hereinbeforedescribed improvement in the art of annealing steel castings and steel forgings, which improvement consists in first heating castings or forgings of steel in a suitable furnace to an equable and proper temperature throughout the mass, then transferring such heated metal into an annealing-chamber, from which the surrounding air and the heated gases of the heatingfurnace are excluded when this chamber is closed, and then closing this chamber, so that the heated metal within it shall be cooled by the circulation of the air within this chamber, substantially as described.

WM. SELLERS.

Vitncsses:

JOHN L. PHILLIPS, EDWARD R. HARPER. 

